Hansson’s late goal pulls Towson to a 1-1 Draw vs Florida
By Waindim Tufoin, contributing writer
Down one with two minutes left against the Florida Gators, the Tigers seemed out of the game until a late strike by Maja Hansson made it 1-1.
Both Florida and Towson played a physical game, with 30 combined fouls, seven yellow cards, and one red card. Neither team could break each other down in the 1st half as they didn’t generate much offense. Towson had some opportunities but were offsides three times in the first 45 minutes (6 for the entire game).
The Tiger’s defense was sharp, and they were able to keep Florida out of high-danger areas for the first 46 minutes but a turnover and a foul allowed for a Gators free kick, which was put in the box by defender Emilee Hauser and put into the goal by forward Lena Bailey.
“I think we were organized defensively, but in the beginning of the 2nd half we gave away the ball, and therefore that resulted in them punishing us,” said head coach, Katherine Vettori. “You can’t give the ball away against a quality opponent such as Florida and expect not to get punished.”
Down one, the Tigers didn’t back down. While looking for the tying goal, forward Kale’a Perry and Gators goalkeeper Jayden Emmanuel were both going for the ball. Emmanuel got called for a foul on Perry and was given a red card.
With Florida playing with 10, Towson looked to take advantage. Perry had a free kick that was saved for a Tigers corner. On that corner kick, midfielders Maja Hansson and Cierra DiSabato had quality chances in the box that stayed out of the net.
Towson continued to attack with no success until a Florida foul in the 89th minute gave them a prime opportunity. Defender Brook Birrell put the ball in the box; it bounced off midfielder Sophie Thibeault’s foot, and Maja Hansson put it in the back of the net.
“I think it’s remarkable to show the resilience of this group. They didn’t give up hope the entire time, and they fought,” said Coach Vettori.
The Tigers are now 2-2-2 on the season, and they play the Maryland Terrapins next on September 5th at Tiger Field at 7pm.
